Boko Haram seizes town in Nigeria’s restive Borno state

Boko Haram terrorist group has reportedly seized a town in the restive northeastern Nigerian state of Borno.

According to residents of the town of Magumeri on Saturday, the Takfiri terrorists entered the town, located some 50 kilometers from the state capital Maiduguri, at around 1800 GMT.

After entry, the terrorists began to shoot at locals and throw explosive devices at them, a move which forced residents to take cover in the surrounding forests.

“We hurriedly took our families to the bushes before they could get us. Almost every resident is hiding here,” said a local.

The incident comes just days after a bomber killed around 50 people at a mosque in the neighboring Adamawa state.

More than 20,000 people have been killed since Boko Haram started its deadly campaign in northeast Nigeria in 2009. The violence has claimed many lives in neighboring countries of Chad, Niger, and Cameroon as well.

Boko Haram has been largely pushed out of its main strongholds in northern Nigeria, according to the country’s military and government. The group, however, is still active in its Sambisa Forest enclave in Borno and launches sporadic attacks on civilians and security forces from there.